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Anti-depressants that don't cause weight gain?

YulesYules member
in Postpartum Depression
I've read and heard from people that some anti-depressants cause weight gain. I would like to avoid that if possible. My therapist said that Paxil is the only known one that will cause weight gain. She recommended Lexapro or Wellbutrin as ones that definitely won't affect my weight. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Or recommend something that works for them and doesn't affect their weight?
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Re: Anti-depressants that don't cause weight gain?

  • lizzykittycatlizzykittycat
    interesting...  i just came on here to post and read this first.  i currently have a rx for lexapro.  before i took it, i wanted to see about side-effects.  the first thing i stumbled upon was a board somewhere that everyone was complaining about the weight gain.  so, now i'm afraid to take it.  i'll be watching your post... i probably don't even need to write my own. 
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  • mechanicsgirlmechanicsgirl
    I'm on Wellbutrin.  One of the possible side effects is weight loss (it's more of an upper than just a mood blocker - or so my doc says).
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  • exhausted_brideexhausted_bride
    I'm on pristiq which is a newer and "improved" welbutrin and I have had no negative effects on my weight. If anything it's made me less hungry.
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  • jenny1980jenny1980 member

    Side effects will vary person to person.

    Zoloft isn't "supposed" to cause weight gain, but I've put on around 20lbs since I went on it in March and if you do some Googling you'll see that this can happen with most SSRIs.

     

     

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  • Jram85Jram85

    Being bipolar I've been on a huge concoction of meds, so I'll share my experiences with some of the ones you mentioned.  Please keep in mind that what I experienced may not apply to you (I don't want to scare you away from something that could potentially help you because I had a negative experience with it). 

    Zoloft - One of the side effects is appetite loss, and it really affected me.  I lost about 20 pounds, but lost it so rapidly that it was very unhealthy.  My hair started falling out in clumps and I looked just... sick.  Other side effects were headaches, jitters, dry mouth, muscle ticks (which can become permanent in some people), and loss of libido.  For me, zoloft actually made my depression worse.

    Prozac - Did not notice any weight gain/loss.  Minimal side effects.  Some that I remember were muscle twitches that did eventually go away, and constant dry mouth that drove me crazy but did get me to drink more water :P .  For me, Prozac worked well for about a month and then seemed to stop working, even when Doc upped my dose.

    Lexapro - Did not notice any weight gain/loss. Very similar for me to Prozac side effects.

    Wellbutrin - This drug effected me the most in regards to weight gain/loss than the others I mentioned.  Similar to Zoloft, it reduced my appetite to 0, causing me to feel sick when just looking at food or even thinking about food.  What was dangerous for me was the rapid weight loss.  I'm 5'7", medium build, and weighed about 140 lbs at the start of taking Wellbutrin; however, in about a month I was down to 119 pounds and went from a size 8 to size 2.  The rapid weight loss caused my hair to fall out, my skin to look sallow.  Shakiness is a side effect, but because of the lack of food, this was amplified and I did pass out a few times and have to be hospitalized. 

    With that being said about Wellbutrin, it was the best antidepressant for me as far as treating my depression.  I felt noticeable relief within the first few weeks and it was one of the very few drugs I've taken that did NOT effect my libido.  With the Zoloft just looking at my partner made me feel icky, I felt completely sexless and that was a huge bummer and put a damper on my recovery and relationship.

    Please don't get scared into not taking something that could potentially help you, and my experiences were probably not very normal to begin with considering the situation that put me on the drugs in the first place (that is another looong story...).  If you do begin taking Wellbutrin and have a rapid weight loss, talk to your doctor so your health is not affected - especially with your baby.

    If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)  

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  • BlairWaldorfBlairWaldorf member

    Unfortunately, I've gained weight on Zoloft, Celexa, & Lexapro.

    Risperdal did the worst number on me - I gained 15 lbs within just a few weeks of starting it.

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  • YulesYules member
    imageJram85:


    Wellbutrin - This drug effected me the most in regards to weight gain/loss than the others I mentioned.  Similar to Zoloft, it reduced my appetite to 0, causing me to feel sick when just looking at food or even thinking about food.  What was dangerous for me was the rapid weight loss.  I'm 5'7", medium build, and weighed about 140 lbs at the start of taking Wellbutrin; however, in about a month I was down to 119 pounds and went from a size 8 to size 2.  The rapid weight loss caused my hair to fall out, my skin to look sallow.  Shakiness is a side effect, but because of the lack of food, this was amplified and I did pass out a few times and have to be hospitalized. 

    With that being said about Wellbutrin, it was the best antidepressant for me as far as treating my depression.  I felt noticeable relief within the first few weeks and it was one of the very few drugs I've taken that did NOT effect my libido.  With the Zoloft just looking at my partner made me feel icky, I felt completely sexless and that was a huge bummer and put a damper on my recovery and relationship.

    Please don't get scared into not taking something that could potentially help you, and my experiences were probably not very normal to begin with considering the situation that put me on the drugs in the first place (that is another looong story...).  If you do begin taking Wellbutrin and have a rapid weight loss, talk to your doctor so your health is not affected - especially with your baby.

    If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)  

    Sorry I didn't follow up to your post immediately, I didn't have any responses on this for a while. I decided to go on Wellbutrin. The prescription is for 150mg - from all the information I gathered that seems like a negligible amount that is usually prescribed for children. So far, after 1 week, I see no difference. Although I haven't had any negative thoughts about my child or being a mother either (my symptoms of PPD). So my question is how much is usually prescribed and whether is depends on the person's weight? (I'm 5'2 and 118 lbs) Also, does it begin to take effect subtly or would you feel much better after a week?

    Thank you for all of your responses!

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  • rubyganrubygan
    I'm on zoloft and have not gain weight.I also diet and exercise so maybe thats why I haven't seen any change in weight .I would recommend to workout while taking the med. It will help to lose weight and also your mood . 
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